Ukrainian negotiator in US in bid to revive talks with Russia

US-mediated talks on ending Europe's worst conflict since World War II have shown little progress since February, when Washington shifted focus to its war with Iran.

"The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine will hold a series of meetings today with envoys of the President of the United States," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X, referring to Umerov.

"First, the humanitarian track. We hope it will be possible to carry out a new stage of the release of prisoners. Second, the reinvigoration of the diplomatic process," Zelensky added.

Umerov last met with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner in Florida between March 21-22.

Since returning to office, Trump has pushed Moscow and Kyiv to negotiate. But months of talks have failed to bring the warring parties closer to an agreement to stop the fighting, triggered by Russia's war four years ago.

The already stalled talks were put on the back burner from late February, when the US-Israeli air campaign against Iran began.

Even before the Middle East war, Russia and Ukraine remained at odds over the key issue of territory.

Ukraine has proposed freezing the conflict along the current front lines.

But Russia has rejected this, saying it wants the whole of the Donetsk region despite it being partly controlled by Ukraine -- a demand Kyiv says is unacceptable.